Bad End
by WriteShop
Summary: The UBW: Good end - is it really a good end for everybody? Just a short one shot looking at the characters a few months afterwards.


Rin staggered home from the seminar. She couldn't wait to talk to Zeltrech about some of what she learned, _'It's so hard to tell how much of these seminars is fact and how much is ego_'. At least her mentor didn't try to play games with her mind. He just explained things they way he saw them. Of course, the fact that he was insane was a bit of a handicap, but you can't have everything.

"Saber, I'm home." she called out as she took off her shoes. Yes, she was living in London, but some habits stick with you. And it was a good habit - it kept the floor clean. Rin went to the kitchen and grabbed the milk carton and chugged a healthy amount,_ 'I guess we'll have to order out'_ Shirou was away, helping a team of Enforcers on an Apostle hunt, '_I swear, he's like a little boy, always running off to play soldier with his friends'_ She smiled fondly as she thought of her boyfriend.

"Saber? Do you mind if I order pizza? I don't want to wait for dinner" Rin called out to her girlfriend as she grabbed the phone and one of the menu's tacked to the fridge. The menus disappeared whenever Shirou was in town: Rin didn't want the over-idealistic hero wannabe to know what sort of junk she was eating when he was away._ 'It's not like I'm not self sufficient. I'm just busy'_

"Saber?" It suddenly occurred that she still had not gotten a reply from the third occupant of the flat. Her girlfriend, Arturia, was almost always home.

A quick search revealed no Arturia, and oddly, no note. Saber was usually more responsible than that._ 'I'll give her an earful when she gets home_' Rin shrugged.

As the evening rolled on, there was still no Arturia. _'She's Saber. She can take care of herself' _Rin paced back and forth, finishing off the last slice of pizza nervously. Another thought occurred to her '_Shit - It's been a couple of days since I transferred prana to her. I hope she's not running low'_

Rin threw the pizza crust into the trash and went to the bedroom to get Arturia's comb _'Good thing she's blond_' she carefully plucked out a couple of hairs and wrapped them around a nail as she recited a short Aria. She then tied a string to the nail and let the seeking spell (for that is what it now was) dangle from her hand.

Rin slipped on her shoes one handed, not daring to let go of the spell. It was harder than she expected _'taking off your shoes all the time is such a waste of time. Why did I do something so stupid?'_ But soon she was racing out the door.

By midnight, Rin was walking along the Thames. The seeking spell twisted gently back and forth, _'Arturia's somewhere nearby'_

"Hello, Rin" Rin spun around, to confront Arturia. The former king was wearing her armor, and had Excalibur in her hand.

"What's going on? Is there danger?" Rin dropped the seeking spell, and prepared to cast gandr.

"No, everything is fine" Arturia smiled gently and looked out at the water, "London is very beautiful from here."

"If there is nothing wrong, then why do you have Excalibur out - it must be draining you Prana levels dangerously low"

"I am glad to have been able to see how England has turned out", Arturia turned back to Rin, "But it is now time for me to go."

"What do you mean, go? Back to the Throne of Heroes?" Rin looked panicked. "You can't do that! I love you. And Shirou. He will be devastated if you leave."

Arturia turned to face Rin, she was glowing now, as she burnt through her prana reserves at a prodigious rate. "I'm sorry. But this is not my time. Look at us. Shirou has become a knight in training. He is pursuing his goal of protecting those he loves. You are continuing your studies with one of the most talented Magi in a hundred years. And me? I sit at home, doing nothing. At first, it was good to be loved by two people like you, to be told that my life had meaning. But now... It is time for me to move on. This is not my time."

"But..."

There was a flash of light. "Tell Shirou that I love him."

And Arturia faded away.

END

I wrote this because it always bothered me that Arturia, a former king, a very dynamic person, would be willing to sit around as a housewife, tied to Rin by the need for regular prana transfusions.

Yes, I know she was hoping to lead a more 'normal' life, but by her nature, she is a leader and a warrior, and there aren't many opportunities for somebody like that in the modern world, especially with her constraints.


End file.
